/)rc cmber,
•1111:!. L \ \f>"\\'0 \f\ \
nt .lrl} lltlghbour. I , for a rea~on \\ hi~h politt>nc.,.,
f, rbtd., nw w mcntiun, lo'>t my app<'titt'.
:1\t>arly
ttrag-ht:our'... o1w remark, dudng the m 4.a l, wa c; that
ht liked his viCLuals woked.
'I hat rema rk ",p,
u')Jl('crmng the sa lad.
\fr r dtnnc•r nearly n<'ighbour . . tay~d . and ~ t a)ed ,
J d ~t:l)Cd, .md stay~d, and k{·pt o n -.ta}ing.
L ake
rh:u. F< r an hour, pc r hap~, our con\t>r:.at ton "a~
'P tsmodi<', in the distn•<;o;ing scns<: <>f t he w ord. Tl
twitpitc
<>f 1t:. agony it rose up agam and ma de a frc.,h
... t.trt ; until, at last, com p letely wo rn ou t, complt•tc I}
'xh,Justcd, it < xecuH·d one last convul.,ive e ffort and
dtfd.
.. ~ htc•nl.
l '( it . ••
' Apple.,," l ~aid , .ti(•Ud, mJ jumped ,\g:ull,
·· tppk-;, do you th nk thl') will do \\'( 11 th io,; )'(•1' ! ''
•· Don' know," ::..tid JH·arl) ndghb.>ur.
· H~c.s. I>td you <·H·r <:onsid<'r k•·<>ping b<'e-, : "
· :-\aw," said nearly neighbour.
1 dccidf"d to skip '' c " :lod '' d " b<>c.wse I ~'; .tnd \\a-, trying to eH\dc goitre
'' r " ~ •• wlwn, quite if h<' h.td b<>cn fo liO\\ ng
my alphnlx•ti gu1 .,~ d h,. mi~h t .,c; well be getting on.
I wo of them , ' • I thought, '' in one SC' nt<·rH'<'·
I low nl'at. ''
" l her<' :trr· the chore~." I agrcC'd, nnd \\'On d1 n·J
now I <.ould h.tvc mi.,~ d th:-tt for the · c.' '
[njo~lng
" 1'1 ! come agai n, '' he said.
" But of <.:ours<', " I an-,wc·rcd, " do. ''
" T o-morrow, mebbc."
1 had a blessed inspirat ion : " Only,'' 1 sa id with
.t -;m ile which I tri<:lll<' ~und.\y - I
nw bb c.
rn:b.be .. I '11 hitd~ up th<' marc a!ld tnkP ) o~ bugg}
dnvtn 1 1 H e s mtlcd tha t '> tog ethe r .
And th<.• m a n • wo t k-. .111 Wc>ek
so i ~ ..,cems m ea n no t ,to a llow he r to rc..,l ~n . Sl.lntlny
Bt "'de!> , I r<'a llv do n t c::u·<' fo1 buggv dn\ mg ' '
" ',~n .,i blc," a pproH d '"M I) tH ighi>Olll', .. 011 .
common ... c n~ib lt• fo r a wo m.ltl ·'
C llt\I'TER 'I W I· I.\' F.
\ ftc•1 the vi-,it wh k h I dC' lnilcd la <.t month nearly
tH tghbour did t>xactl) n" h<' thrent e nNl to do; h<·
c.tm tlw 11<' \. l T h m sd a) ev<•nmg, and then he k ept
on .trlcd . " Feur-
full~
Then I ta lked things ov(.'r V<'r y ~n-.ib ly with
.tl l of my family, and we de<.i dcd tha t ll wa~ wor.,<'
than o,illy, nead y sinful, fot us to allow one p&uliar
ma!< pcr:.on to mak e !if<> illmost unbr arabiP for u-;.
-..o, o n hi~ fift h visit, I introducf'd him to a pi le of
book ... , care-fully selected, and then I sat down and
re ad, .lnd so d id P a t si t down and rt"ad .
'\( M l)- neighbour d idn't read . lie sa t and watchctl
th n.·.td.
~\'c kept rcsolutc>ly on.
I le s tayed u ntil
ha 1f - p.t~t m ne , hi ~ u s ual hour for d(•p.trturt", and
l<·ft, a~ I supposed the n, offended and hurt.
I w.h
. . orrv l.x'Cnu"e h<' was hur t, a nd glad bC'<'au'P I w.t.,
.... ur<· lw would not come a g ain.
(Co11tmued on Page 283.)
Themseh es.
["F arm a n(/ llome. " ]
•
•
•
IC)lO
•